DoD to release health management overhaul RFP in January

Nov. 13, 2013 - 03:56PM
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The Defense Department will be releasing its first draft request for proposals to overhaul its health management systems and provide health data interoperability with the Veterans Affairs Department in January, according to a top official.

Chris Miller, the program executive officer for the DoD Healthcare Management System said the draft RFP will be the first of “multiple” drafts before the department releases a final RFP. DoD will also be hosting industry days for contractors to offer feedback on best practices and ideas to make the eventual system better.

“We are trying to do what we can to make sure we are offering opportunities for industry to come in so we can have a dialogue,” Miller said at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Bethesda chapter Health IT day Wednesday.

He said he expects “thousands of comments” on its draft RFPs and added the new system needed to have interoperability, scalability and ultimately flexibility to be able to adapt and respond to new technologies so that DoD is not stuck with an antiquated system.

“I don’t want to pick beta in the VHS-beta war,” Miller said.

He said the goal is to put in place the new system in fiscal 2017.

He said the two departments serve 9.7 million beneficiaries across hundreds of medical clinics, hospitals and care centers and that the development of the new management system will require a “team” of industry partners to be able to connect health records and share data in ways that will improve patient care.